Let's Shellabrate

I made 2 cards with just a minor change of the sentiment and shells - a birthday card for my 9 year old niece, who is redecorating her room with a beach theme.  The anniversary card for my son and daughter in law, who love the beach. 

Shopping our Stash - Birthday Theme

TIME OUT Challenge

CAS(E) this Sketch - loosely based on this sketch:

Supplies:

• Stamps: assorted companies for shells: The Stamps of Life (shell & sentiment), Carolyn Holt Designs, LIzzie Ann Designs
• Other: real shells from LI beach, alcohol inks, Yupo paper, embossing powder, watercolor (shells)

at Home - Get well Soon

By now you've heard of, and been impacted by the Coronavirus.  I live in Suffolk County NY - one of the areas that have been hit somewhat hard.  Like many of you, we have voluntarily (or involuntarily) limiting our outside exposures.  

So I created this art journal page to reflect today's life.  I don't think too much explanation is needed as to my meaning.  Stamping and creating and journaling are helping me to stay sane.  I can't say I'm always smiling.  But I try.

Here are some close ups so you can read my journaling. 

And if you'd like to read more of my thoughts, check out yesterday's blog post - here is a snapshot:

This is going into the following challenges:

Stamplorations March Stencil Challenge

Happy Little Stampers -

 

Creative Artiste Challenge Blog  

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge- Stencil Fun

Products used:

Stencils: Tim Holtz (sun rays & cobblestone), TCW (bricks), Hero Arts ? (clouds)
Stamps: Paper Smooches (virus), Dylusions (house: I inked the 4 corners, then extended the house), Inky Antics (stamping girl), Technique Tuesday (HOME)
Dies:  Lawn Fawn (virus), ??  Get well soon sentiment
Other products used:  acrylic painted background

Thanks for looking.  
Until next time.  Stay well!

at HOME

No card or journal page . . . yet.  I am working on a journal page.   This edition of my blog is just about the last week and life. 

The Vessel -- NYC 3-11-20

We went to Manhattan last Wednesday via LIRR to see a matinee performance of Come From Away (great musical, by the way).  Then continued to walk around NYC and saw the Vessel.  You can actually get tickets (free or $10) to walk or take elevator up and down this structure.  Really cool.  Hopefully the world will return to normal and people will get to enjoy this.  

Closures due to Covid 19 were not a thing in this area . . . Yet!  It was starting to become "a thing" but social distancing was  barely being suggested.  And groups were not yet limited.  I was nervous sitting in the theater -- we wiped down our seats, and the seats around us.  Didn't touch handrails.  And everyone in the bathrooms were thoroughly washing their hands.  

Then the world as I knew it began to change.  All NYC plays were suspended starting on Thursday 3-12-20.   We got to see one of the last plays for this time.  

Thursday 3-12-20- We needed to go to Costco to pick up my new eyeglasses. And figured we'd pick up a few things.  Wrong

I'm sure you've had your experiences with this. 

Today, Wednesday 3-18-2020 

These are weird times.  I just read this post by Cat Luvs Paper.  She starts by sharing her thoughts on the world we are living in at this time. 

• coronavirus pandemic
• social distancing
• shelter in place (this is also a type of drill in schools in the US)
• restaurants, bars, gyms, and now stores closed - 
• news consumed with COVID19

Just like Cat, I love to stay home.  Usually.  My husband and I retired in June from teaching careers.  So home, with a relaxed schedule, is what we are slowly getting used to.

But to be told (or suggested) that I can't / shouldn't go out can be anxiety-provoking - at least for me.  

Not there is any place we could really go anyway -- movies are closed.  Some stores and malls are closed 

Do I really need more craft supplies ?!?  🤪🤪    Did you see that Hero Arts is temporarily closed? 😞See their note HERE.

Our local grocery store has hours for seniors (6 -7:30 AM ).  Nice.  But, ummm, I'm retired.  I've gotten used to sleeping until 7 am!!  :).  😃.  Oh well, we'll adapt to this too I'm sure.  

I wonder what groceries will be available.  The stories we hear - one friend's son works in the deli department of a local grocery store - He says there are few cold cuts (deli meat and cheese) available.  Little regular meat, eggs, milk, bread, etc.  I tried to do an online order, but none was available through March 30 - they didn't offer anything after that.

Soon we'll be low on supplies and will have to venture out for ourselves and see.  Plus we shop for my hubby's almost 90 year old mother.  

10 AM - just came back from my walk with my very good friend and neighbor, Virginia and her hubby Bob.   

 Here's our new walking distance:

Luckily we live in a nice residential area with little traffic, so we can stay away from each other, and still talk up a storm.  Virginia and I can see each other every day, and still have lots to talk about!!

I'll leave you for now.  It's a bright sunny, getting warmer day.  My garden could use a bit of a refresher from the winter.  I also need to uncover my carnivorous plants and see how they made out through the winter.  

I'll leave with you this little cartoon.  Hopefully it makes you smile.  Be safe.  Stay healthy.  Thanks for taking a look. 

TheAkwardYeti

Missing You

 My sister and her family visited over the holidays.  After they left we found one lone sock under the bed.  It belongs to my youngest niece, who is away in college.  I've held on to it, until I found the time to make an appropriate card for it. 
I think she will love this!

The Male Room - Use Embossing - I embossed all the images, before coloring.  This card could be for male or female. 


Lawn Fawn - Bring it Back - The stamp set is from Lawn Fawn. 
I used a stencil for the background, with a blue ink.  Then . . . .  wait for it . . . I stenciled over that with Stickles!  I have so many stickles and other glitter glues - just drying up on the shelf.  And I've been noticing that there are now so many products now like these to use over stencils.  LIGHT BULB.  Use my old stickles for this!! 
I also added mini buttons as accents on the card. I had to dust off the container they were in.

Inspire. Create. Challenges:  I'm not sure this card qualifies -- I wanted to show movement of the washer.  So the stencil I selected (in my mind) gives a spinning feel.  Which I then tried to emphasize by angling the washing machine.  

Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes With Dies - There are coordinating dies
with this stamp set.  

Here is a peak at the inside:

I hope this brings a smile to your face -- I know it did for my hubby!  I can't wait to send it (along with sock).  

Enjoy your day. 

Happy 16th! New Driver

Hello! My niece is turning 16 next week, and all she wants is $$ towards her car account.  So I thought this card would be good for her.  She really wants a Mini Cooper (used, of course), but I had this VW from PaperTrey Ink that I thought would be a good substitute. 

I am putting it into a new challenge for me Creative Crafting Uncles.  The theme is "Cars".  Now I have a lot of cars in my stash as my hubby is a mechanic.  So even though this card is for a girl, I do think it could certainly be used for a boy.  Just change the license plate - and don't guys like red cars too?

I'm using the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches . But I'm going to flip it a bit.  And the car is in place of the white box.

And I'm also linking to Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with Dies - there is a die with the PTI stamp set.

Time Out Challenges - Birthdays - it's not your traditional birthday card, but take a peek at the license plate.  

That's all I've got for today.  Thanks for taking a look.  I'm off to food shop for dinner for tonight (Valentine's day) and food for the weekend.  The birthday girl and her parents are coming in for the weekend.

Hope you have a good weekend coming up for yourself.

Cozy Cabin

Decisions, decisions:  black background or red background.  Which do you prefer? 

You may be "gnomed-out".  

But, when I saw all these challenges posted, they spoke to me and said, "Oh, just Gnome for it!" 

I loved how these challenges all combined, and the card was so easy to create.


The Card Concept: Cozy Cabin - This was my starting point.  I decided on the wood background.

The Male Room: It's Snowing - I don't know if you can see the clear snowflake accents on the card.  In retrospect, they probably should have been white. . . but I didn't have white ones that looked nice.

Color Throwdown - Colors: Amazing!!

Freshly Made Sketches - and this sketch is so simply nice.  I had to move the sentiment bar to fit.  

Products used:

• Gnome diecuts & cardstock from Simon Says Stamp
• sentiments from Hero Arts (Merry Xmas) and Gina K (Gnome Like You)
• Wood plank stamp from Unity by Brutus Monroe

Thanks so much for stopping by for a look.

Love Knows no Borders

So I got this awesome stamp set from Lil Inker Designs, which is, sadly, closing up.  And it just called out to me to do a Journal page using some of the sentiments. 

I knew I wanted to make a statement about Love using this stamp set.  So I tried painting the continents and oceans -- I am NOT an artist. Like I didn't know that already - LOL!   So  I added more water and white paint to blur and make the background.  I stenciled the bottom of both pages. The mountains by Ken Oliver, the city by . . . ?



Then the pages sat for a while, while I figured out what to do.

I embossed the heart-map using one of the Brutus Monroe Night Shift embossing powders.  You can see in the photo to the left that when held one way, you'll see black, but in another way, you'll see the pink.  I cut apart the world and layered it on a red heart. 

Sentiment strips, white hearts stencil (probably not needed), some journaling, and it was finally done.


I'm putting this onto the following challenge blogs.

1) Country View - January Challenge

2) Simon Says Monday Challenge - All Loved Up

3) Mix It Up Challenge - Anything Goes + optional Paper Piecing - does the heart count? I think not.

4) More Mixed Media - Anything Goes + optional blue (sorry no blue for this page)

5) Art Journal Journey - Hearts - some inspiration-

The stamp set still calls my name.  I know someday I'll make another layout using other sentiments.
As always, thanks for taking a look!